1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to a combine powered by an internal combustion engine that is controlled by electronic engine controller wherein the engine controller derates the engine if certain crop processing assemblies are not used.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Combines are large agricultural machines used to harvest, thresh, separate and clean an agricultural crop. Combines are provided with a grain tank for temporarily storing clean grain before it is unloaded to a grain cart or truck by an unloading auger. These machines are usually self propelled and maybe provided with additional crop processing assemblies like straw choppers and chaff spreaders.
Controlling and managing the residue the combine deposits on the ground is becoming a more significant issue. Many times this requires finer/shorter straw length which requires more straw chopper power and thus more engine power. In addition, the farmer's desire for increased machine productivity also requires more engine power, much of which is consumed in propelling the combine and powering the harvesting equipment.
When these systems are not in use and are not consuming their usual power, this power is available for other machines functions, notably separating. Such a situation may exceed the capacity of the separator drives causing damage to the separator. At the present time a combine designer overcomes this potential problem by designing separator drives to handle full engine power in all occasions when the straw chopper is not being used or the machine is stationary with the harvesting equipment disengaged, as when powering out a plug of crop material caught in the separator. The separator typically consumes about one third of the total engine power under normal operations. Designing for this worst case scenario with today's higher engine powers adds to machine weight and cost.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,522,553 discloses a combine with a power boost arrangement wherein the engine power is boosted by the electronic control unit when operation of the unloading auger is detected.